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Cassandra Bankson has overcome adversity and bullying from classmates to become a YouTube sensation (who can proudly boast over 95 million views), catwalker who has graced New York Fashion Week, skin care guru and, most importantly, role model. Click here to learn more about her inspiring journey and how she got to where she is.

Cassandra has accomplished so much, it’s hard to believe that she is only 21. She has the poise and elegance of a woman well beyond her years, but it wasn’t always that way. Cassandra has been very open about her struggles with finding her confidence. It all began when she was in middle school, dealing with the typical problems of adolescence, until her acne rapidly took over her life. It became so severe that it covered approximately 90% of her face, as well as parts of her body. This led to taunts and teases from other students, and the ridicule got so bad that she left her school for private one-on-one studies. The bullying left her antisocial, spending an abundance of time in her room doing homework and watching makeup tutorials on YouTube.

This all turned out to be like a blessing in disguise: Cassandra impressively graduated high school two years ahead of her class, and decided to pursue a degree in dermatology and aesthetics. After tons of trial and error, she perfected her routine for covering up her severe acne, known as her “Flawless Foundation Routine.” Done daily, this routine gave Cassandra the confidence to conceal her acne and face the world again.

Her family friend photographed her for a class, and she was so thrilled with the results that she began pursuing local photo shoots and runway shows. Her newly found confidence and success inspired her to give back to the online community who taught her everything she knew about beauty. She wanted to educate others on confidence, dealing with acne and makeup. She began posting videos on YouTube with the name Diamondsandheels14, openly discussing her journey to loving who she is, inside and out.

She is now a prolific face in the world of beauty, who has made appearances on shows like The Today Show, Anderson Cooper and countless others. Many of her videos have gone viral, including her recent heartbreaking confessional for Dermablend’s inspirational campaign. On top of all that, she has many exciting projects in the works including developing both a charity and skincare line. Can’t wait to see what she has in store next!